Atascadero Printery, historic building in California, USA
The Atascadero Printery is a printing facility in Atascadero, California, constructed in 1915 in Italian Renaissance style with red brick walls and sturdy frame. The building was designed to house large printing presses and originally produced newspapers and magazines for regional distribution.
The Printery was founded in 1915 by Edward Gardner Lewis and operated as one of the largest printing facilities on the West Coast. After the printing business closed in the late 1920s, the building served successively as schools, a Masonic Lodge, and various municipal offices before earthquake damage in 2003 left it unused for years.
The building's name reflects its roots as a printing hub that shaped the town's early identity and economic growth. Visitors walking past can sense how central this place was to Atascadero's founding vision and community self-image.
The building is located in downtown Atascadero and is easily accessible on foot from the town center. Since restoration work is ongoing, check current conditions and access options before visiting, as parts may be under construction or temporarily closed to the public.
At its peak, the building housed one of the first rotogravure printing presses in the country and produced roughly one million printed copies annually. The foundation plans to feature a print museum where visitors can learn about this printing technology and see examples of the work that once came from these presses.
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